www.journalgazette.net

www.journalgazette.net

www.journalgazette.net

Amy Sklar Design photos
“As a designer, I love bold floral prints that feel modern but wink to the classics,” says designer Amy Sklar. A hot trend this year has been mixing styles in decor and design.

Sklar tucked a smartly-decorated nook under these stairs – the perfect little hideaway for reading or a quiet phone chat. The fabric, by Raoul Textiles, is called Elephant Leaf and is also used as wallpaper.

Crane & Canopy
Fresh, energetic hues such as coral and red are part of a vibrant palette this spring, along with bold patterns.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 1:00 am

Let décor reflect you

What's 'in' this year for home design is whatever you want

KIM COOK | Associated Press

Locally

Spring is the best time to make some changes in your home décor, says Cindy Friend, owner of Cindy Friend Design Boutique in Fort Wayne.

Friend says there are many ways a person can freshen up their home or complete a décor makeover. She offers up some recent trends when it comes to home decor.

Patterns and textures. This year is seeing a lot of versions when it comes to textures, Friend says. There are velvets, tweeds, stripes, squares, circles, lots of geometric shapes, in both tiles and fabrics, she says.

Metals. There has been a shift back to gold in many different shades, such as rose gold, warm golds and antique golds, Friend says. These colors pair great with blacks, silvers and grays. “It's kind of a warm metal element that people are putting into their homes,” says Friend, adding that the metal colors can be seen in plumbing and light fixtures, as well as art and accessories.

Natural elements. Not only has there been a push for more stone, copper and granite in a home, but the big trend for spring is real plants, Friend says. She says real plants of all kinds “adds so much homeyness” to a room.

Floral patterns. More people are using floral designs in pillows and draperies.

Pops of color. Friend says she says that a lot in accessories, art and tossed pillows. “Things that we can easily change, not permanent items in color,” she says.

Concrete. Homeowners are using concrete in various places in the home, Friend says. It can be seen as an accent, for back splashes, counter tops and accessories such as lamps.

Vintage and repurposing. This is a trend that is ongoing, Friend says. People love using “something old that's new again.”

'70s chic. This era of golds and macramé is on the rise in home decor.

Friend says that homeowners in the Fort Wayne area are drawn more to the craftsman-style decor or farmhouse look. Reclaimed wood is popular in many home designs, she says.

In addition, homeowners are moving to less clutter in the home. Friend says residents are “not packing in the accessories because we don't want to dust or clean” them.

But the bottom line for home decor is to do what you like, Friend says. “If you like something, and you can make a few changes on a budget without breaking the bank, go for it.”

– Terri Richardson, The Journal Gazette

The biggest trend in décor may be that there isn't a big seasonal shift in style any more. In an era of democratic design, there's a relaxed approach to home decorating that has put the notion of “in” or “out” on a back burner. We can decorate our homes more freely.

There are furnishings, palettes and materials in the spotlight, to be sure. But we're more inclined to decorate in a personal and emotional way, making home a happy refuge in an uncertain world.

Getting cozy

“'Cozy' seems to be the buzzword for 2018,” says Joan Craig, partner at Lichten Craig in Manhattan. “Every client this year has told us they want their home to be soft, warm, relaxed, luxurious ... and easy.”

Craig said that for a few years now, clients have wanted high-performance fabrics that can survive kids, pets and wine.

“This is still the case, but now these textiles also have to be incredibly lush and soft,” she says. “We've started doing indoor/outdoor fabrics mixed with the most delicious mohairs and alpacas, combined with textured chenilles and weaves.”

Designer Phyllis Taylor says her eponymous firm in Miami is getting many requests for ethanol-based fireplaces, which are easily retrofitted into homes because they don't require venting. Taylor's team is using the fireplaces as room dividers and situating them in master baths, in dining rooms and on television walls.

“These fireplaces are a luxurious focal point, giving a space an unexpected touch of coziness and glamour,” she says.

Eclectic décor is part of this trend, too – a curated melange of whatever makes your inner decorator's heart beat. Pieces from different eras, travel souvenirs, favorite finds – the shelter magazines have embraced eclecticism for its ease and personality.

“We think 'greige' is making a re-emergence in 2018,” says lighting, furniture and product designer Brendan Ravenhill of Los Angeles. “A mix of gray and beige, the color brings warmth to wood and whitewashed spaces.”

Melissa Lewis of Lewis Giannoulias Interiors in Chicago says there's a new way to tweak the perennially popular combo of gray and white: Envelop the space.

“Take the warm neutrals and paint them on everything – doors, trim, walls, etc. The unilateral color makes any space feel much more refined and welcoming,” she says.

That refinement is also being reinforced with touches of drama and texture, says Charlotte Dunagan of Dunagan/Diverio Design Group in Coral Gables, Florida. The firm is using matte black accessories, light fixtures and decorative hardware in many of its projects. Warm woods like walnut and warm paint colors generate an ambiance she calls “classic modern.”

While many designers are embracing calm and quiet, others are excited about the proliferation of imaginative, interesting patterns, shapes and textures. It's a trend that allows personalities to shine.

“I think people are less afraid to use pattern in bigger spaces,” says L.A. designer Amy Sklar. “Patterned tiles for kitchen backsplashes and bathrooms are going strong, and I've also been using patterned runners for stairways and hallways. It's a fun way to add a little personality without overwhelming the space.”

Bonnie Saland of the design studio Philomela in Los Angeles has done a fabric collection based on rocks and minerals, as well as batik-style abstracts.

Pantone's new palette has several vibrant hues, like Cherry Tomato, a zingy red; Meadowlark, a bracing yellow; and their color of the year, Ultra Violet.

Thorp is interested in avant garde Italian patterns now, too. “Cole & Son has some amazing Fornasetti wall coverings that will completely transform a room in unexpected ways,” he says. “Surreal pattern is so appropriate in these surreal times.”

Dutch designer Ellie Cashman has drawn inspiration from her country's art masters, creating oversize floral papers that look like they've been plucked from a moonlit garden.

And British firm Graham & Brown has collaborated with musician Brian Eno on a contemporary flower wallpaper full of kinetic energy.

That '70s show

Midcentury modern still has legs. So does the hybrid style known as transitional. But interior design's relationship with fashion and glamour has placed new focus on the 1970s and '80s.

The look may not seem quite as au courant to those who grew up in the era, but the young and daring will find Jonathan Adler's new pieces chic and fun. Inspired by Studio 54, the famed '70s-era New York nightspot, the seating in the Bacharach collection combines velvet upholstery and brushed brass bases. And in Adler's Ultra collection, mineral-hued velvet or black-and-white printed upholstery dresses up an array of seating that blends Italian modernism and futurism.

Another feature of this '70s style? A palette of happy hues like daffodil, gumball pink, acid green and sky.

So here we go, 2018. Some of us are ready to cozy up with Netflix and a faux fur throw in a quiet room wrapped in milk chocolate paint. Others want to enliven our space with a madcap array of fun prints, a gold chandelier and the tunes turned up.